[Image description: Good Finds March 2020 banner]

About This Month’s Good Finds

• Age-reference: unless otherwise specified, these books were a hit for Q (age 7.5), R2 (age 5.5)
• Affiliate links: This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability. When possible, I’m using Bookshop.org affiliate links, but since they’re still in beta, I’ll use Amazon affiliate links for stuff they don’t carry yet.
• If you run into glitches or bugs on Bookshop, contact info@bookshop.org (I can’t do anything about those). If you find glitches here – leave a comment below.
• For the full archives of our patreon-only good finds, you can find those here: All Good Finds Posts

Quick list:

This is a quick link list for folks who like to click through and add these to reading lists. See below for a review of each book.

• That’s Not How You Do It
• The Oldest Student
• My Heart Will Not Sit Down
• Pilu of the Woods (disclosure: got a free copy from LFBC)
• His Royal Highness King Baby
• Pokko And The Drum
• The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors
• Tales for Picky Eaters
• Margot And The Moon Landing (disclosure, got a free copy from Annick press)
• My Footprints

I’m still having trouble finding some books on Bookshop.org. I know a lot of you click through and compile a quick wishlist using these links – is this annoying for you that this list links to two separate websites? Let me know in the comments.

Also, for older kids, teens & grown-ups:

• The Ghost Collector (disclosure: Annick sent me a free copy)
• The Dark Fantastic
• They Called Us Enemy

Good Books:

Books we’ve been searching for

• That’s Not How You Do It (hofmann-maniyar)
  We’ve been searching for books that unpack mansplaining and being insufferably bossy. This was perfect, and even gave us an opportunity to discuss the concept of cultural conflict. It’s best for ages 5.5, and it’s a bit babyish for the 7.5yp (the one who needs it most), but the 7.5yo was willing to sit through it for a read or two and it helped him grasp the concept. While normally I avoid books that use racially coded Asian pandas doing a pan-asian mishmash (origami, chopsticks, pagoda block towers), for this purpose, it was fine because the rest of the book makes such a clear and powerful point. The maker is a white woman – which I feel is appropriate – in her bio she alludes to confronting her own white-centering in the past.
• The Oldest Student: how mary walker learned to read (hubbard)
  This is definitely going into our anti-ageism for elders flexibility collection. Not only does it dismantle stereotypes about older adults being inflexible and unable to learn (pish posh!) but it also shows some of the obstacles facing people who were born enslaved, and the intersection of what how a woman caretaker’s education is de-prioritized under oppression. I’ll also be adding this to our Black women
• My Heart Will Not Sit Down(Rockliff)
  This teeters on the edge of problematic if we don’t tread carefully. The last thing we need is one more book showing Africans as poor and destitute. HOWEVER – unlike other books, this story alludes to the reason for the poverty (colonization, specifically a head tax) and counters the concept of Africans as helpless victims & recievers of white benevolence. Based on a true story, this counters the white savior narrative by showing Africans sacrificing to support American children living in poverty. In the story, their ‘help’ is less than a drop in the bucket – so you will have to discuss this carefully – that ever penny counts, rather than ‘oh look at them isn’t that cute.’I’m going to trust you to wrestle with this properly. More than anything, this story gives kids a mirror to see the human condition of feeling compelled to do something when we know another person is suffering. With urgency, caring, empathy, and knowledge that makes sitting still impossible. Beyond that, this is a great intro book to discuss how colonization uses capitalism and currency as a tool to subjugate and control occupied countries.
• Pilu of the Woods (nguyen) – Willow reads as nonbinary to me, no pronouns ever mentioned, but Willow does use the girl’s bathroom. I’m slowly amassing a collection on the power of crying, and this will definitely be our headliner for that collection. About letting our feelings out instead of bottling them up, this would pair well with ‘The Heart and the Bottle’ well if you’re wrestling with grief and the death of a loved one. social emotional, death of mother, loneliness, regret, sibling conflict & healthy sibing relationships. touches on nature & environmentalism – they address how you have to be careful not to destroy things in nature and how we can leave unintended consequences. Wonderful for 7, but wouldn’t go much younger than 6. This was the first book my reluctant reader actually plowed through on his own. Graphic novel. Disclosure: Got for free from LFBC

Books that made us laugh

• His Royal Highness King Baby(lloyd-jones)
  The 7yo enjoyed this more than the 5yo, but they both loved reading this multiple times. It’s definitely a keeper to revisit as sibling rivalry pops up. The incongruency between the words and pictures make the kids feel smart and help them recongize hypocracy, and jealousy within themselves. It’s hilarious – the 7yo laughs and laughs and the 5yo (who misses many of the jokes) joins in. The yo loves how she percieves herself as oppressed and victimized when what is really going on is her parents are giving her tons of things and doing all the work for her. Works SUPER well for our latest initiative to get kids to pick up more slack with household chores, and when they bring out the ‘He ALWAYS gets / I NEVER get…’ magical thinking, ignorance of privilege. perspective.
• Pokko And The Drum (Forsythe)
  This was SO MUCH fun. Very simple book that gets more complex with subsequent reads. Reminds me of the witty humor and suspense of Barnett & Klassen’s Shape trilogy. The author juggles tension and drama and silliness so well for such a short and simple book. Kickass girl who literally marches to the beat of her own drum. Even though she’s inconvenient to have around and makes a ruckus, she ends up being a fantastic leader. Normalizes nontraditional gender roles (dad does domestic stuff and childcare, mom reads and studies). Minimal text makes this a good early reader (grade 1), and could be used as an allegory for the social model of disability & neurodiversity. great for music-lovers, particularly loud ones like Q. both enjoyed at 5 & 7, but 7 got more out of the humor. Bonus: feminist fathers
• The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors (rex)
  From the archives! Because we need more silly books that aren’t about oppression and pandemics! I was originally nervous aboutthe violence in this one, but at 6.5 Q was obsessed with rock, paper, scissors since everyone in first grade was playing it. Q LOVES this book, r2 enjoys it at 4.5. we are able to wrestle with the idea of violence in the fact that they are not real, and this is a magical world where the wrestling doesn’t hurt and they recover from damage (as seen in the images). But the action, and hilarious dialogue was just fun to read out loud and made me chuckle. Throughout the weeks during times when we weren’t reading it, Q had it churning around in his brain,  he’d suddenly pipe up about a new insight he had about the story, or he’d finally figure out the joke. this was a book he was excited to read on his own, which says a lot given how reluctant he is as a reader. most of all they loved this new concept of WANTING to be beaten – how finding a worthy opponent and a good challenge to savor. The point isn’t about being ‘the best’ or defeating others. But the exercise in tacking a problem – that’s the magic of humanity! we discussed how we WANT challenges, and that’s what makes life fun, that’s what makes humans thrive and innovate. how a strong and healthy friendship means you can challenge each other with consent, not just be submissive or boss each other around. surprisingly deep conversations from what at first appeared to be a goofy one-time read. healthy competition, friendship. if I had my druthers, i’d read it for 6+. It’s worth noting that every single sparring event in this book (and that’s what it is – sparring, just like football or martial arts) is consensual.

Books that gave us hope

• Margot And The Moon Landing (fitzpatrick)
  Oh my gosh this was SO GOOD. Validating frustration with communication issues, but really this Asian Indian girl codes HARD as autistic but they don’t label her or other her. Hyperfocus, communication disabilities, and frustration with social emotional issues that every kid can empathize with. I want to pause only becuase this isn’t #OwnVoices, so I wonder what the White author & Latina illustrator (Mexican Canadian) could potentially be missing. HOWEVER Annick usually does a solid job so I’m not too worried. SO GOOD, with layers – started us up on conversations of hyperfocus, looping, communication, would pair PERFECTLY with ’The Conversation Train.’ for autistic kids. We see how this conflict between her communication style and hyperfocus conflicts with the style of those around her. Able to read through it each time with a different lens. On making mistakes, and how her mom still loves her and is willing to meet her there in that low space, like a parent should, but also we discussed healthier ways to get our outlets out (like writing on paper, instead of the walls, a la Ada Twist Scientist). My Allistic kid got so much out of this too, on how it feels to keep all those feelings bottled up inside, and how much easier it is to let them out once vented, even if they’re vented imperfectly. How mom doesn’t tone police her method of communicating, but really listens to what’s going on. Amazing on so many levels. Disclosure: Annick Press sent me a free copy.
• My Footprints (Phi)
  AAPI makers about a multiracial AAPI family! Validating for getting picked on at school. The text takes practice to get into – there isn’t really a hook, and the author leaves a lot unsaid. So this isn’t a one-and-done book, more of something that sits on the shelf for kids to ruminate on over the course of months.  Normalizing LGBTQ+ family constellations, with lesbian moms. Thuy’s pronouns are she/her. illustrations are SO CUTE, and while the story feels like a simple thing about experiencing and treking through snow, it also gives kids an opening to start talking about things they are feeling upset about at school. briefly addresses how Thuy is picked on at school for having two moms (homophobia), being told to go back where she came from (xenophobia), and just bugging her for being a girl (sexism).  Thuy wishes she could be a huge monster or another animal to make her bullies stop. Phi is an Vietnamese refugee and cis man,  and his author’s note at the end about his responsibility to own his privilege and past mistakes is amazing.
• Tales for Picky Eaters
  Normally I wouldn’t even mention this book as fillter, but Q got this short chapter book out of the school library and R2 has asked to read it every night for a month now. It’s silly, the humor is goofy, and the dad tells tall tales (or whatever allistic people call it – in our family this is called straight-up LYING). It’s just a nice release for him to get into the fantasy of basement trolls who cook lasagna and eating gross things. Mostly my kids are just super proud adventurous eaters so this helps them feel superior – so I don’t know how it would go over for other kids. There are no redeeming morals, the parenting is questionable, the protagonist is a little insufferable, but the story is fun escapism.

Bonus: What I’m reading this month:

• The Ghost Collector(Mills) – Loved this, GOSH! SO GOOD about making mistakes, irrevocable ones! About closure being something you can’t get from other people. About grief and how it isn’t really something you can or should try to control or overcome. #OwnVoices Indigenous author (Ililiw/Cree & Settler). Ages 7+ Death of a parent (mother), family constellations (intergenerational, later single-grandparent – grandmother, mother, daughter) ties in indigenous heritage & faith. a little spooky but not so much it will give kids nightmares. I got free copy from Annick Press, they spoil me rotten.
• The Dark Fantastic
  We’ve got an ongoing discussion about this in the Luminary Brain Trust. It was a bit of a chore to get through, with some good parts, some academic prose. I’m pretty sure the whole premise and examples could have been summed up in a 5-part blog post, but that cover – gorgeous, right? The one thing I got out of this is a little more confidence in understanding the Afrofuturism & the Black Futures movement – which is still so new, and still something I don’t want to co-opt, that I feel a little more confident being able to at least identify books that do more good than harm.
• They Called Us Enemy (takei)
  #Ownvoices AAPI (Japanese) author, internment camps. Okay first let me say that there is a correllation between celebrities who write childrens books and how shitty these books turn out, but Takei rocked this so hard. Does he ever do anything poorly? Damn! Can’t match this.
  This was an excellent graphic novel, but writing was too advanced for 7, particularly with the politics and name-dropping. Addresses xenophobia, racism, trauma. SO GOOD. immigration, racism, white accomplices (attourney wayne collins, gene roddenberry)

[Image description: Good Finds February 2020 banner]

About February’s Good Finds

This month we caught up on topics relating to Black history & Black futures, so these were mostly a break from some draining conversations about racism and to counter the idea that only Black girls can be astronauts and other fantastic things. The pendulum on representation over here at Bumblebee Hollow swings so far against kidlit norms my white-presenting boys are starting to feel like they don’t have enough positive reflections of themselves in books.

We’re also still researching books about older adults, which as a general group, are terribly bland and boring. Not because older adults are bland and boring – but because most makers depict them that way. Ageism!

So we needed to add some funny ones in to give us a break.

• Age-reference: unless otherwise specified, these books were a hit for Q (age 7.5), R2 (age 5.5)
• Affiliate links: This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability. When possible, I’m using Bookshop.org affiliate links, but since they’re still in beta, I’ll use Amazon affiliate links for stuff they don’t carry yet.
• If you run into glitches or bugs on Bookshop, contact info@bookshop.org (I can’t do anything about those). If you find glitches here – leave a comment below.

Quick list:

This is a quick link list for folks who like to click through and add these to reading lists. See below for a review of each book.

• Serena, The Littlest Sister
• The Truth About Wind
• The Good Dog And The Bad Cat
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee 
• Special Delivery 
• Henry And The Kite Dragon
• Mattland
• Tiger Versus Nightmare
• The Weight of our sky
• Parenting Forward
• The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers
• Operating Instructions

Good Books:

Books we’ve been searching for

• Serena, The Littlest Sister: I’ve been searching for a great book about the Williams sisters (so many bland duds) and FINALLY this showed up. It worked spectacularly well for a challenge R2)age 5.5) is currently wrestling with as the littlest kid in the house and also as a kindergartner in the littest grade in his elementary school. I’ve been collating a list of books to help with frustrations over feeling small & powerless, and this fits in nicely while also refusing to ignore the fact that there are MORE THAN TWO Williams sisters – and they are all valuable and important.
• The Truth About Wind – Wonderful, great for unpacking feelings of guilt, could be a good intro for teaching kids about decolonization from the decendant of colonizers or settler perspective. This gave us the opportunity to disciss how we are complicit in another person’s pain – benefiting from taking something left behind (with the strong caveat that colonization wasn’t indigenous people losing and and us finding it – this land was intentionally and violently stolen.) More of – we inherited something that we love, and now the realization that no matter how much we love it, now it’s tainted with the pain of knowing that it belongs to someone else – someone who deserves it back. And we’re enjoying it at the expense of their suffering. So this book is fantastic to help kids discuss the complicated feelings of that. Disclosure: I got a copy of this free from Annick press. And I’m sure this is biased but the books I get from Annick Press are my absolute favorites. Not everything is a hit for us, but generally the books they make are SO SOLID and ahead of the curve.
• The Good Dog And The Bad Cat – This feels like it was written in another language and was awkwardly translated. Turns out it was written by the founder of Blues Clues. Beyond that, the simple story gives us an opportunity to discuss static versus fixed identities. How the actions and people we see as ‘bad’ are often just people trying to get by with what they can. I love this book, and it was spectacular to read slowly and discuss with the 5.5yo when he’s hitting a new peak of seeing other people as attacking him just for accidentally bumping into them.

Books that made us laugh

• A Sick Day for Amos McGee  – This is a cheat, because I recommended this several years ago. I pulled it out recently because everyone in the house was home sick with the flu for a really long time and we were all feeling bored, restless, and cramped. But gosh – this really holds up over the years. Not only do we have an older man whose life doesn’t revolve around children (rare in kidlit) but he’s kind and sweet and the relationships in this are super supportive and adorable.

• Special Delivery – As the kids get older and want to do their own thing, we have less time for stories these days. But light, fluffy, goofy books like this, they always make time for. It was funny years ago, and it’s still funny now. I wouldn’t get this as a ‘keeper’ book – it wears out after a handful of reads. But like 1/2 to 1 sentence per page, so might be good for an emerging reader. While this doesn’t quite fit into a collection on intergenerational relationships, many of the people the young girl protagonist encounters are older gray-haired adults with careers and lives of their own (ice cream truck drivers, postal workers, airplane mechanics) which is a refreshing, since many older adults are simply missing in kidlit unless they’re doddering grandparents.

Books that gave us hope:

• Henry And The Kite Dragon – This book is SO GOOD. I’ve been waiting for the Earthquakes to be old enough for this book – and now at 7.5 this was PERFECT. This has been the single most resonant book discussing cultural conflict and humility for us so far. Because we so strongly identified with the Chinese characters (we even share a family name with the author) the book’s revelation was particularly shaking for Q. And then he had all these FEELINGS realizing how the Italian kids were not evil nazis – they were scared and upset. SO GOOD. After reading this book, we naturally moved onto a discussion on politics, conservatives, and abortion. This book was also a great post-age-of-reason illustration on how much progress he’s made and how many exciting developments he can look forward to, brain-wise. When he suggested I read this to kids just entering kindergarten, I explained how at 5, he wasn’t ready to understand that other people know and don’t know things different than him, and that I’ve had to wait until this moment to read it to him for him to fully comprehend the complexity. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO HARD. AAPI makers
  • My favorite moment during this discussion: when I explained how Mitt Romney tried to convince our family to let grammy die and he was like loud and exasperated and shocked: “BUT IT WAS HER BODY!!” But also – since Romney’s anti-choice convictions are founded in something hopeful and kind. He’s not some distant evil dictator, but a member of his family’s community – sometimes good at pushing back against 45 – people are complicated and not just good or bad.
• Mattland (hutchins) – R2 (5.5) likes reading the protagonist as himself. He’s taken to doing this with all East Asian & white male-presenting characters. I think it’s because we can find so few positive, kind, and gentle depictions of white and East Asian boys. The scene of hte is intentionally vague, but it’s almost as if this kid is moving into a place rebuilding after a natural disaster – seemingly cold and empty . There is a ton of detritus and things in construction, just mud, very little things green, and he starts out lonely and sad. By starting with one little line, he’s able to engage with the land and gain a sense of control and power. Even though the space felt desolate and empty, his work draws other kids out from their houses and they all work together. Which feels all very meta for the work we’re doing in Raising Luminaries – are you feeling this? Great for collective action and leadership. I thought this would be too slow and underwhelming but R2 read it over and over for weeks. Also would work for a list for creative play and unschooling.
• Tiger Versus Nightmare – I’m searching for age-appropraite graphic novels, which are usually targeted at kids 9+, so we’re in a kind of dead zone (makers pay attention, there is an audience waiting for you here!). It’s simple, like our favorite The Little Robot, and sooo cute. How we can stand up to our own nightmares and don’t need someone else to do it for us (and shouldn’t leave someone else to do it for us). Dealing with fear. Protagonist (Tiger) uses she/her pronouns.

Bonus: What I’m reading this month:

• The Weight of our sky – Oh. My Gosh. I’ve never read anything like this. We go into this more deeply in the book club discussion in the Luminary Brain Trust. It’s way too violent for younger kids, but I’m so, so, so grateful for this resource to unpack and understand our own family’s history as Chinese diaspora in Malaysia, and how our own lives and family are impacted by the events in this story. The author ran through this spectacularly – and while I’m still waiting to hear back on how her depiction of OCD went, as a person with a compulsion disorder, it felt respectful and validating, even if there was this one moment of a made-for-movie-climax (The Hate U Give had a LOT of that, which I found irksome, so comparatively this felt less performative). Keywords so I can find the later: #OwnVoices Muslim authors, YA chapter books, violence, malaysian history, south asian history, revolt, riots, race wars, racism, assimilation, Chinese history, labor rights.
• Parenting Forward – Took me a while to finally get my hands on this! Disclosure: Cindy WB is a patreon supporter (because she is awwwesommme) and she interviewed me for a podcast episode last year and invited me to speak at the first Parenting Forward Conference (affiliate link, for funzies!). SO maybe I am biased, but I’m just loving this book. I’m like 1/4 the way in. It’s a short read, but dense with good stuff to chew on. And I’m also scatterbrained. Touching on deconstructing harmful traditions and mindsets that we were handed as children, on parenting without anti-child bias, empowering our kids in the quest to fight childism, and that’s just the stuff I’ve read so far. Cindy’s audience is mainly progressive Christian, but as an agnostic, I promise this book is more than helpful for the rest of us, as it speaks to the human condition, not just for those of faith.
• The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers – The writing in this is better than other books about Fred Rogers (some of them I just couldn’t even finish) but it is still very fact-fact-fact-fact-fact. So it’s easy to read, but hard to pick back up again once you’ve put it down. If that makes sense. I’m about halfway through. It’s been a wonderful thought exercise on – how do we raise rich white men to be decent, kind humans? This really gives me hope. In reading about his early years, I’m thinking of how I can re-create the work Rogers’ grandparents and parents did to create such a nurturing, loving environment. But with less limousines and “benevolent” capitalism (re: donations and generosity at the whims of one particular family, which is super problematic and kind of re-creates a monarchy). The book celebrates the Rogers’ benevolent capitalism without unpacking the many problems with it. So perhaps that’s a discussion we need to add to our Wealth Inequality series.
• Operating Instructions – This made me feel better about my failures as a mother. Although that ending. Sheesh. I knew it was coming (maybe not in this book, but it was coming) but it still broke my heart. Crying just thinking about it. Beyond that – I wish I had this book in that first year of parenting. Just before this, I had read ‘Almost Everything‘ in my research on drug addiction and listening to #OwnVoices older adults. It felt a little bland and like “Okay yes, it took you this long to figure these things out?” so I wanted to give Lamott’s work another try, and I’m glad I did. Maybe it’s because at my age, I’m more similar to Lamott at her ‘Operating instructions’ age than the age she is now. So my underwhelm with ‘Almost Everything’ might just be my youthful ignorance. I dunno. Either way, it was interesting to see the juxtaposition of – after many things happened in her life, and then before. The pain and fear of parenting an adult son with an addiction, and then zooming way back to those first moments of him as an infant.

[Image description: Raising Luminaries 2019 Good Finds]

View the full list of 2019 best kids books here

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

A Normal Pig (ages 4-9)

I haven’t seen such a good #OwnVoices story about growing up multiracial/multicultural in a monoracial community since Maclear’s Spork. And this story goes one level deeper – into the importance of bringing BIPOC and third-culture kids into spaces where they aren’t always the other.

If you like this, check out more stories featuring multiracial families.

 Emiline: Knight in Training

Validating for reluctant readers and kids with dyslexia, this early graphic novel is set in a dyslexic-friendly font. I think it’s intended for the 4-7 age range and now the Earthquakes are on to more dramatic storylines. We missed out on this cute story.

If you liked this story, check out:

• Kids Books Celebrating Neurodiversity
• Graphic Novels for Elementary-Aged Kids
• Normalizing Disabled Characters in Kidlit

Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy

About These Good Finds

[Image:  illustration from Benji, the Bad Day, and Me, by Sally J. Pla and Ken Min]

About March’s Good Finds

I search through several hundred books each month, but not all of them fall within the scope of our monthly theme or book collections. Here were our favorite recent finds.

Creating a booklist of our top favorite books that make us giggle has been on my to-do list forever. But we talk about a LOT OF HEAVY STUFF in BFL and there is always something urgent and alarming we need to work on first.

So I’m excited to have these monthly posts to share the books that give us space to be happy humans.

• Age-reference: unless otherwise specified, these books were a hit for Q (age 6.5), R2 (age 4.5)
• Affiliate links: This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.
• If you find glitches here – leave a comment below.

Quick list:

This is a quick link list for folks who like to click through and add these to reading lists. See below for a review of each book.

• Still Stuck (Yoshitake)
• Baby Feminists (Babbot-Klein)
• Zoom! (Munsch)
• Accident! (Tsurumi)
• Masterwork of a Painting Elephant (Cuevas)
• Benji, The Bad Day, And Me (Pla)
• Coloring Without Borders (Various) (Not an affiliate link)
• Maya (Jain)
• Purple, Green, and Yellow (Munsch)
• Frida (Winter)
• Lakas and the Makibaka hotel (Robles)

Good Books:

Books we’ve been searching for

Purple, Green, and Yellow (Munsch)

I know – I’ve been trying to keep this short and limited to 10 books, but mentioning Munsch earlier made me realize I still haven’t found a chance to talk about this book. It’s the single most helpful book we’ve found in discussing drug addiction, and the slippery slope that leads people into such life-altering habits. It’s also an #OwnVoices book – Munsch has disclosed his history with addiction.

Okay, are you starting to see why I love this man so much? This isn’t something he needed to disclose to his readers – in fact, it would have been safer for him NOT to. His vulnerability, I think, his openess, helps to destigmatize addiction and help us protect our kids from it. This man. He’s such a treasure.

Drugs have overwhelmed multiple generations in our family. Raising my kids only to lose them to heroin is one of my greatest fears. We have to show our kids that we love our family members, that they is worthy of love and support. We have to talk about the damage drug addicton has had even on the people who don’t do drugs in our family. We talk about being loving, non-judgemental, but cautious around the addicts we love – because they make illogical decisions to hurt us, even though they love us back.

But mostly we have to talk about how easy it is to become addicted. How a few simple decisions can make it so you can never really get back to the ease and privilege of not being addicted. This book is remarkably helpful in this.

Frida (Winter)

We read a LOT of books about Frida Khalo. Mostly because she’s accessible – authors love to write about her. But also because I’m still searching for the book that discusses her as an intersectional feminist hero.

There are books that talk about her disability (this is the best one for that), and even books that talk about her multiracial heritage – something we often gloss over in an effort to boost her as a Latina hero. And of course, lots books about her as a famous lady artist breaking feminist barriers. But very few talk about all of these intersections. And none of them talk about her open contempt for white feminism (such a shame.)

This is my favorite so far – but it does ignore her multiracial heritage. It does discuss her close relationship with her father. Her mother was more distant, and this broached in the book in a way I like – we get to see how her father’s role as the breadwinner gives him more free time, whereas her mother’s traditional role as a caretaker for children leaves her overwhelmed.

While the book does touch on her disability, and how she uses it and maneuvers through it in a wonderful way, I wish it discussed why Frida, in particular of all her sisters, was so close to her father – he was disabled, too.

I’ll keep searching for the perfect Frida book. Meanwhile, this one is utterly lovely.

Lakas and the Makibaka hotel (Robles)

THIS IS EXCITING!

When I first picked up a copy of Lakas and the Manilatown fish, I found it bizzare. There is this fish that bounces around and like, steals people’s hair? And it visits all these landmarks and the cadence of the text is unfamiliar, even the English part (it’s bilingual Tagalog & English). Which got me really excited, because when I find a book puzzling and hard to understand, it means its breaking some cultural barriers and refusing to cater to the dominant gaze.

First off – there are VERY FEW books about Southeast Asian Americans. I say ‘few’ because I’m sure there are others but I actually can’t think of any off the top of my head.

So these books don’t just celebrate Filipino American culture and history, they also do so unapologetically, without catering to the white gaze. I AM IN HEAVEN. After reading both, I suggest you tackle ‘The Makibaka Hotel’ to get used to the storytelling style before picking up ‘Manilatown fish.’ The men the young protagonist looks up to aren’t polished super heroes – they’re buskers about to be evicted.

This gave us TONS to talk about – about gentrification, about how Asians form tight-knit communities within America for support, about getting to choose our own heroes, about frustration, greed, capitalism, and exploitation of people living in poverty.

Books that made us laugh

Still Stuck (Yoshitake)

This short & quirkly little story made us giggle. You can use it for deeper meaning of disability acceptance if you feel inclined (I was not, I am burnt, particularly as April approaches, which is hell month for autistics.)

At some point, all of us will feel stuck, will become temporarily or permanently disabled – we might realize that our lives might change forever, and we’re going to have to find ways to build a new way of life around it. Or, you can just look at the pictures and giggle.

Baby Feminists (Babbot-Klein)

I didn’t think this board book would have sticking power with a 4-year-old, but R2 has asked to read this book every single day for over a month now. The trick is to act completely surprised every time he lifts a flap.

Before she became a leader, RBG was…a famous lawyer? Head of her class? A toaster? TELL ME – WHAT WAS SHE?!

OH MY GOSH NO WAY, I never would have expected even the great and powerful RBG was a BABY! Just like you were! Just like me! Does that mean….even WE could go on to become luminaries who smash the kyriarchy TOO?!

This is your go-to baby shower gift for for favorite expecting parents.

Zoom! (Munsch)

I was really nervous to dig into the books of Robert Munsch. So many white authors use characters of color as tokens in stories, and I know he does this thing where he bases his characters off real kids. He churns out books at an alarming rate, which is usually a sign of sloppy filler books.

But you know what? I am…ok, hold up a second, I’m tearing up… I just adore this man, more and more with every book. While his books aren’t without their flaws (oodles of sanist language like ‘crazy’ and ‘nuts’), he is working so hard, he’s pushing for inclusion, he’s doing the work we’re asking for. And he’s funny, and he knows how to speak TO kids without speaking DOWN at them. If anything, he’s talking right over parents’ heads and poking our brains in subtle ways we don’t even realize.

So this story has basically everything I’ve ever wanted in a disability book. The protagonist uses a wheelchair, and her disability isn’t erased or ignored – it’s incorporated into the story in a fun, absolutely ridiculous way (as kidlit should be), and she’s both flawed with her unreasonable need for speed like a regular kid AND powerful. The story includes a subtle nod toward folks with disabilities who see abled folks whining about tiny boo-boos, she rescues her brother when he cuts his finger.

I could go on, but I need to keep this short. Get this book, make it a staple on your bookshelf.

Accident! (Tsurumi)

What do we do when things go wrong? The Earthquakes felt both smart and superior watching these characters bumble around, trying to flee from their troubles. Which of course made everything worse. We discussed how getting in a tizzy (what we call the orange zone) can make us clumsier and make things worse. And how stopping to breathe and calm down instead of running away might be a better idea.

And then what’s the best thing to do when we mess up? Apologize. Take responsibility. Offer amends. Perfect!

The illustrations and tiny amount of dialogue were hilarious, and I was delighted to find another multiracial Asian author (this is SO rare).

Masterwork of a Painting Elephant (Cuevas)

This chapter book was too advanced for R2 (4.5) to sit through, and I thought it would be over Q’s head at 6.5, but he and I fell into this deep, timeless space as I read it aloud to him. The story is both…enlightened and goofy (these are not the right words, but they’re the best ones I have on short notice.)

Even Q picked up on themes of a parent’s unconditional love and the sacrifices and dedication we are happy to make for our children. On being selfish, on our first crushes, on who deserves credit for their work and why – oh there are so many good things in here.

I’ve never read anything like it.

Books that gave us hope:

Benji, The Bad Day, And Me (Pla)

I approach books about autism written by allistic parents with a pair of tongs and a garbage bag.

And when I open a story to realize it’s narrated by an allistic sibling of an autistic child, I get my lighter out. It’s okay to have stories about autism FOR allistic siblings. The problem is that these are the tropes of 99% of autism kidlit. And we autistic folks are always a burden and challenge that our allistic siblings need to ‘deal with.’

HOWEVER. Instead of slapping me in the face with supremacy and condescension, this book filled me with ALL THE JOY.

The story isn’t about autism. It’s about a regular kid who (just like all allistic and autistic kids), is going through that gloomy stage around age 6-7 where the whole world is unfair and they are little pessimistic Eyore humans. It’s about sibling rivalry, envy, and feeling unseen and left-out.

This is a book EVERY 6 & 7 year old needs, whether or not they have a sibling. I used it with Q (age 6.5) to validate his feelings when he’s been singled out at school, to discuss what roles he plays in the bad things that ‘happen to him’ (hint: getting sent to the take-a-break space isn’t out of nowhere).

Even though we have brothers two years apart – one allistic and one autistic, both empathized with the older allistic protagonist, AND they both empathized with his younger autistic brother. GENIUS.

While there is an element of resentment – his autistic brother gets special accommodations that he doesn’t get, and that irks him in ways he can’t quite put language to. But the wonderful part is it’s not directed AT his brother – because it SHOULDN’T BE. Also the way the author handles the autistic brother’s after-school class is 100% perfect. We can’t tell which kind of class his brother is in, but whether you want to talk to your kids about ABA abuse and compliance training, or support classes that help give autistic kids support they need – this is a good conversation starter.

And the hero? The hero who saves the day and sees the protagonist? Who reaches out to say – I see you. You matter. I will do whatever is in my power to help you through this.

I WILL LET THE HERO BE A SURPRISE! Oh crap now I’m crying.

So now the Earthquakes mimic the ending and it’s so cute I could explode. GO GET THIS BOOK.

Coloring Without Borders (Various) (Not an affiliate link)

Rebekah L., one of our awesome-lovely-absolutely-fantastic patrons here, sent me Coloring Without Borders, which, because it’s a workbook, I can’t get my hands on from the library. I’ll admit, the price tag seems steep, but it makes sense, since all the profits go toward #FamiliesBelongTogether to help reunite families who were separated at the Mexican/US border.

Since it’s not in our budget, I had linked to it a while back and forgotten about it. I figured it was a basic coloring book but OH MY GOSH. IT IS AMAZING.

We don’t have much luck with interactive workbooks. Coloring books are boring and basic, academic workbooks are tedious, the Questionners series from the Iggy Peck makers rely too much on adult guidance, and open-ended craft books like the Beautiful Oops! Craft book are too vague.

But for THIS book- all you need is a pencil (or whatever your favorite writing implements are). Kids can make it simply or ornate, and the bilingual english-spanish prompts inspire creativity. My kids are ACHING to dig into this book, and I’m so excited to see what they create.

We’re going to buy another copy so each kid can have one, and save both for a plane trip we have to make this summer. The book is SO THICK I’m fairly certain it will entertain them for a large chunk of their 6-hour flight. And probably the flight back.

And then I am going to save their creations forever. It’s better than a diary. This is SO PERFECT. And the profits go to reuniting families! SO GOOD!!!!

Maya (Jain)

I’m slowly amassing books about fear, grieving the death of a loved one, and books by and about women of color. This fits into all three of those lists!

The primary theme in this book is one of perspective. It taps into a fairytale story about the a monsoon and the first baobab tree that rescues all. And how even though things can start out scary and overwhelming, having some faith and hope that we can get through this – that things will be okay – oof. Now that is a lot to pack into a picture book.

[Image description: Raising Luminaries 2018 Good Finds]

View the full list of 2018 best kids books here

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy

[Image description: Raising Luminaries 2017 Good Finds]

View the full list of 2017 best kids books here

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy

[Image description: Raising Luminaries 2016 Good Finds]

View the full list of 2016 best kids books here

For the full archives, you can find those here: All Good Finds Collections.

This post contains affiliate links. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with the BFL statement of accountability.

Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy